Smart exec shares PH mobile opportunities with Stanford crowd

[30 July 2014] Smart Prepaid head Joel Lumanlan (rightmost) said Philippine mobile operators faced the challenge of sustaining the growth of traditional core services amid fast-changing consumer preferences and the influx of other communication players. He said Smart has responded to this by bundling voice and SMS with data services via sachet pricing, and by launching innovative offerings like PowerApp, which allows mobile Internet users to choose only the apps relevant to them at very affordable rates.

An executive of wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) recently discussed the opportunities and challenges in the Philippine mobile scene before a group of technopreneurs and students at Stanford University in California.

Smart Prepaid head Joel Lumanlan (rightmost) said Philippine mobile operators faced the challenge of sustaining the growth of traditional core services amid fast-changing consumer preferences and the influx of other communication players. He said Smart has responded to this by bundling voice and SMS with data services via sachet pricing, and by launching innovative offerings like PowerApp, which allows mobile Internet users to choose only the apps relevant to them at very affordable rates.

Joining Lumanlan at the Stanford talk on the mobile situation in the developing world were [from left to right] Erin Pangilinan of the Science and Technology Advisory Council of the Philippines (STACP)-Silicon Valley, Beryl Li of World Startup Report, and Carolynne Schloeder of Wikimedia Foundation. The talk was organized by the Stanford Filipino Community, Standford’s Bechtel International Center, STACP, and IdeaSpace Foundation USA.

Lumanlan was among the executives of Smart and PLDT who flew to Silicon Valley to meet with officials of top tech companies there and discuss how the latter’s tech solutions, startup culture, and talent solutions could be used to further enhance PLDT and Smart’s services and work practices.